Musical clapping instruments



Feb. 23, 1965 T. MIETTINEN MUSICAL CLAPPlNG INSTRUMENTb' Filfid Oct 211 1963 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,170,360 MUSICAL CLAPPING INSTRUMENTS Toivo Miettinen, RR. 3, Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada Filed Oct. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 317,490 Claims. (Cl. 84 402) This invention relates to an improved musical instrument and more particularly one which' simulates hand clapping.

Certain types of musical programs invite audience participation either by singing and simultaneous hand clapping or hand clapping per se. The individual is not only entertained and becomes a part of the program, but the participant learns the rhythm of various compositions, for example.

The relatively old and sometimes relatively young participants in programs of the character involved often become tired during this type ofaudience participation to the extent where they do not present an audible hand clap.

An object of the present invention is directed to a musical instrument in which the sound emitting portions thereof maybe readily interchanged or replaced in order to provide means whereby different clapping sounds or tone may be obtained and in which worn parts may be readily replaced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide clapper plate assembly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel musical instrument including anovel removable a novel musical clapping instrument including novel means for removably mounting a clapper plate by means of a spring wire element removably mounted on a handle including a fixed striker plate.

These together with other more specific objects and ad vantages will subsequently become apparent from a consideration of the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawing forming a part thereof, wherein :V

struction details, and further showing in phantom lines the relative position of the fingers when installing or removing the spring wire element thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2, showing in phantom lines how the instrument is operated for generating a clapping sound;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; p

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the instrument showing how the spring wire is manipulated 3,170,360 Patented Feb. 23, 1965 tively narrow shank 16 which is undercut at 18 and has suitably secured thereon a circular striker plate 20. Other shapes of plates may be used, i.e., square, rectangular, etc. The upper surface of the striker plate is in alignment with the upper surface of the shank 16. The shank 16 is formed integrally with an enlarged handle portion 22 having a semi-circular cross-section as seen in FIG- URE 4. The cross-section of the handle may take various forms, for example, that shown in FIGURE 7. The enlarged handle portion 22 has a flat upper surface 24 which has formed therein a recessed, upwardly opening slot 26 which opens into the end 28 of the handle. The handle includes integral, inwardly extending flanges 30 and 32 which terminate short of the closed end of the slot 26 and form therewith a pair of parallel, inwardly opening grooves 34 and 36, respectively; see FIGURE 4. Suitably secured or formed integrally with the handle are vertical embossments 38, 40 and 42 which are spaced at opposite sides from the inner edges of the flanges 30 and 32 to form upwardly opening, wire-leg receiving grooves 44 and 46, respectively, communicating with the grooves 34 and 36. The handle 22 has formed at the rear or closed end of, the slot 26 a pair of blind bore por-,

tions 48 and 50 for providing means for mounting the clapper plate assembly 14, as will presently be described in detail. 6

The clapper plate assembly 14 comprises two separable parts consisting of a spring wire element 52 and a clapper plate 54. t

The spring wire element 52includes a forward bight portion 56 integral with slightly outwardly bowed leg portions 58 and 60. The leg portions 58 and 60, respectively, include inwardly converging portions 62 and 64, terminating in free, substantially parallel ends 66 and 68, respectively.

The clapper plate54 preferably conforms in shape to the striker plate 20, and includes in the disclosed embodiment a vertical, diametrically disposed embossment 70. The embossment 70 has formed therein an upwardly, and rearwardly opening slot 72which opens into the edge 74 of the body portion 76 of the plate 54. The body portion 76 includes integral, inwardly extending flanges 78 and 80 beneath which the leg portions 58 and 60 of the spring element 52 will be received. Integral with the embossment 70 or body portion 76 ar vertical portions 82 and 84; portion 84 having a forward portion substantially conforming in shape to the bight portion 56 of the spring wire element. The portions 82 and 84 have side edges which are spaced from the inner edges of the flanges 78 and 80 to form upwardly opening grooves to receive the leg portions 58 and 69 therethroug from the condition shown in FIGURE 2, also showing in phantom lines the relative position'of the fingers;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, and-showing another embodiment of the clapping instrument;

. FIGURE 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE .8 is a top plan view of the spring wire element used in the embodiment of FIGURE 6, intermediate portions thereof being removed.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and first considering FIGURES 15, the novel clapping instrument is indicated generallyrat 10 andis produced from a suitable plastic or similar material. The instrument 10 includes a handle assembly indicated generally at 12 and a clapper assembly indicated generally at 14'.

The instrument is operated by grasping thehandle 22 in oneis-hand and causing the clapper assembly to oscillate as' indicated by the direction arrow in FIGURE 3.

' To remove the clapper plate 54 from the wire element 52, the thumb and forefinger'are engaged at theouter sides of the leg portions 58' and 60 as seen in FIGURE 2.

The legs 58 and 60 are squeezed together to displace them fromlbeneath the flanges 78and and the clapper plate 54 can be readily removed. Thisprocedure is reversed for remounting the clapper plate, i.e., th spring wire bightportion 56 is positioned forwardly of the element 82; the leg portions 58 and 60 are squeezed together andiare positioned beneaththe flanges 78 and 80. I

The rear free ends 66 and 69 are normally received in the blind bore portions 48 .and 50 and the leg portions 58 and 60 are received beneath the flanges 44 and 46. The leg portions 58 and 60 can be squeezedtogether and removed from beneath the flanges 44 and 46 and the ends 66 and 68 can be withdrawnfrom the blind bore portions.

This procedure is reversed to remount the leg portions on the handle.

Referring to the embodiment of FIGURES 68, another embodiment of the instrument is indicated generally at a 10%). This embodiment includes a handle assembly 112 and a clapper assembly, indicated generally at 114. This embodiment of the instrument is operated in the same manner as that previously described.

In this embodiment, a clapper body portion 17d includes inwardlyv extending flanges 178 and 13th spaced from a single, forwardly rounded emb ossment 1 .82 to form upwardly opening, undercut grooves.

The handle 122 of the handle assembly includes in the upper surface upwardly opening, undercut grooves formed by inwardly extending flanges 144 and 14s and a single vertical embossment 138. The flanges 178, i810 and 144, 146 do not extend the entire length of the upwardly and forwardly'opening slots or grooves, and av substantially elliptical, O-shaped spring wire element 152 is used in this embodiment.

The spring wire element 152 includes inwardly displaceable leg portions 158 and 160 and the ends thereof conform substantially to the ends of the elements 182 and 138.

The leg portions 158 and 160 can be readily squeezed together to separate or remount the separable parts sub stantially in the manner described with respect to the embodiment of FIGURES 1-5.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit.

handle toward said one end thereof, and a clapper plate plate; said structure characterized in that said handle and said clapper plate include undercut groove portions in the upper surface thereof, conforming substantially to opposite ends of said spring wire, and opening toward each other from adjacent ends of said clapper plate and said handle, said spaced leg portions of said spring wire being removably received at opposite ends in the grooves of said clapper plate and handle.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said spring wire element comprises an elongated U-shaped element including a pair of free converging end portions at the terminal end of said leg portions, said handle including a pair of spaced bore portions spaced from said undercut groove portions and removably receiving said free converging end portions of said leg portions.

3. Thestructure of claim 1 in which said spring wire element comprises an elongated, substantially elliptical, O-shaped element.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which undercut groove portions comprise intermediate lateral lips projecting partially over upwardly-opening parallel grooves.

5. The structure or" claim 4 in which said clapper plate and handle each include intermediate vertical embossmen-t extending vertically from the upper surface thereof and spaced inwardly at opposite sides from saidv lateral lips.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LEO SMILOW, Prim Examiner. 

1. A RHYTHM-KEEPING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A HANDLE, A STRIKER PLATE AT ONE END OF SAID HANDLE, AND A CLAPPER PLATE ASSEMBLY REMOVABLY CONNECTED TO SAID HANDLE, SAID CLAPPER PLATE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SPRING WIRE INCLUDING SPACED LEGS SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID HANDLE AND EXTENDING IN SPACED RELATION ALONG SAID HANDLE TOWARD SAID ONE END THEREOF, AND A CLAPPER PLATE SECURED TO SAID FLEXIBLE ELEMENT AND OVERLYING SAID STRIKER PLATE; SAID STRUCTURE CHARACTERIZED IN THAT SAID HANDLE AND SAID CLAPPER PLATE INCLUDE UNDERCUT GROOVE PORTIONS IN THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF, CONFORMING SUBSTANTIALLY TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SPRING WIRE, AND OPENING TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID CLAPPER PLATE AND SAID HANDLE, SAID SPACED LEG PORTIONS OF SAID SPRING WIRE BEING REMOVABLY RECEIVED AT OPPOSITE ENDS IN THE GROOVES OF SAID CLAPPER PLATE AND HANDLE. 